


The Quiet

by Anonymous



Category: Dragon Quest XI
Genre: Enemies to Allies to Friends, Gen, bonding over weapons, could be read as pre-slash
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-24
Updated: 2019-12-24
Packaged: 2021-02-26 06:02:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 992
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21928660
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/
Summary: Hendrik has sworn to guard the Luminary but it still feels pretty uncomfortable after spending months hounding the same person around the world.
Relationships: Graig | Hendrik & Hero | Luminary
Comments: 3
Kudos: 70
Collections: anonymous





	The Quiet

The sound of the Luminary bringing down the hammer against hot metal seems to echo through the plains. He’d started working at the forge shortly after they settled down for the night, took a break to eat, and then resumed his work. Hendrik has finished training and still the Luminary continues to hammer away off to the side, his back to his companion. A part of Hendrik, the reasonably paranoid part, is disturbed by the sound. It’s too loud, it’ll give away their position, just because Heliodor has been reclaimed there could still be enemies around that are not deterred by the hovering presence of the sacred statue. But after hours of traveling in suffocating silence it’s a relief to hear something other than the sound of their own footfalls and the rustle of lurking monsters.

No one would accuse Hendrik of being chatty, he would often travel long distances with his troops with barely a word, speaking only when spoken to first except to relay orders. But this is...uncomfortable. 

Hendrik has no room to complain, it isn’t as if he could blame the Luminary for holding onto whatever anger Hendrik had fanned in their past. But his apology in the ruins of Heliodor Castle had been accepted with a nod and he’d even felt hopeful at the sight of the younger man’s smile when he’d offered his hand to Hendrik.

He bites back a sigh. The Luminary doesn’t owe him friendship or comradery, he is fortunate the young man is logical enough to accept his presence for the sake of their shared quest. With only the two of them on this journey though there is no one to fill in the tense silences between them, no one to buffer. 

The hammering stops so suddenly that the lack of it almost startles Hendrik. What does startle him instead is the Luminary sitting down beside him, the closest he’s come to Hendrik outside of battle. He turns to see the young man with a hand held out between them, as if to reach over to tap Hendrik for his attention though getting it so suddenly has the Luminary drawing back just slightly. 

“Uh…”

Hendrik’s gaze settles on the axe in the Luminary’s other hand. The other man notices his gaze and holds it out between them, holding his arm out until Hendrik accepts the weapon from him after an uncomfortably long pause. This should make sense but Hendrik’s paranoia would find it easier to understand if the Luminary had been wielding the axe against him. They both sit there stiffly, dead silent except for the crackle of the campfire.

This is going to kill Hendrik. This weird atmosphere between them will kill him before any of Mordegon’s demons, before Jasper, before any earthly beast -- if he lets it. 

Hendrik clears his throat, making sure his voice is still there. 

“This...is fine work.”

The Luminary sighs, in relief?

“I- I’m glad. I’ve never forged an axe before, so it took a few tries before I got it right.”

“That’s impressive,” Hendrik says, honestly. He isn’t someone prone to false flattery, but even if he were there’d be no need for it. He adjusts his grip on the weapon, feeling the weight and balance of it. It’s a much better than the axe that he’d brought along, better quality materials, better craftsmanship. He’s tempted to take it to the training dummy he’d set up earlier if he weren’t afraid to walk away from this moment. 

“Though with your skill with the sword, there’s no need for you to take up another weapon…”

The Luminary blinks at him blankly, once, twice.

“It’s for you... if you want. I made it for you anyways.”

The Luminary has been working with the forge for _hours_. And there appears to be no other new gear, just this axe that Hendrik holds in his hands. He isn’t sure how to respond to a _gift_ when he'd been fighting to not anticipate a punch to the face at the very least.

He must have been silent for too long, the Luminary clears his throat uncertainly, just barely meeting Hendrik’s gaze when he looks up.

“You don’t have to use it if you prefer to stick with greatswords,I was just thinking this would free a hand and let you use the Shield of Heliodor with it...or you could use one of my swords if you prefer.”

Listening through all his nervous rambling it’s impossible to think that the silence all day had anything to do with anger or any kind of grudge. 

“It’s a beautiful weapon, I will make good use of it. My manners have been poor, I apologize. I just wasn’t expecting such a gift. Thank you.”

At Hendrik’s words the younger man huffs out a quiet little breath. 

“I’m not sure it’s much of a gift when you’re using it to help keep me alive.”

It’s impossible to miss the relief in his tentative smile. He wonders if they’d both been thinking the other resentful. Hendrik had chased the Luminary literally around the world after all. But seeing that small smile again and the faint brush of red high on the other man’s face, Hendrik resolves to move beyond their past ills, not just out of duty. 

“I find in battle you are keeping me alive as much as I am guarding you. I suspect you would manage with or without my help…but I’m glad to be here. I swore to guard you but more than that I hope to be a worthy companion, Luminary.”

“El.”

“Excuse me?”

The little huff this time sounded almost like a laugh. 

“You should call me ‘El’ since we’re traveling together.”

“I will try to remember.”

“I’ll remind you if you don’t,” El says, something light and maybe teasing in his tone.

It’s a start. When the quiet wraps around them again it no longer feels so suffocating.


End file.
